Griffin Charging Station + Storage for 5 iPad devices ($99)

4 out of 5 stars

Since I am a hardware reviewer, you might imagine that my office has charging cables all over it. You would be right. But there is an island of sanity among all the mini, micro, and Lightning connectors, not to mention various full-on PC and Mac charging cables. That island of sanity is called the Griffin Charging Station + Storage for 5 iPad devices. That’s right, five devices, one power source.

Griffin’s moniker for this multi-USB endowed desktop dandy is a bit misleading. It really should say it charges “up to 5 iPad devices.” Because as much as it charges iPads, it also charges iPhones, iPods, and even Android tablets and phones and Kindles and Nooks. Some of the latest Samsung devices can also be charged, but they exceed the iOS optimized power output of 5 volts DC @ 2.1 amps, so they charge more slowly.

The charging station consolidates input: a single power in with five USB ports out. Clear plastic uprights separate wide aisles. This means that you don’t need to take your device out of its case; although depending on the device, you may need to put it in upside down (you won’t be using it while in the charger anyway).

The charging station will work on 110 and 240, so if you are running a conference or some other event and need a bunch of devices charged, this may also make a good travel companion, even in Europe or Asia.

I’ve used the station for several weeks with a few different devices. I found them all fully charged and ready to work when I was ready to work. If you stagger them from small to large, you also get a sort of modern-technology-as-art sculpture on your desk. A couple of leather cases with tooling or stitching or big prints and patterns can make your art avant-garde.

How would I improve the station? Higher amperage output and perhaps something in cherry wood or other wood tones to match the charging station's surroundings rather than its charges (see what I did there?).

In a cluttered universe, I’ve found the Griffin Charging Station helps de-clutter a small portion of one desk in one room of my personal cosmos. That’s something.

Dear friends,

Big changes are happening at Mango Life Media, and we couldn’t be more excited.

But first, the sad news. I am stepping down as Editor in Chief of iPhone Life, and transitioning away from Mango Life Media. This is a transition that has been in the works for about a year; and I will be focusing on a new online interview series I’m creating called The A-List with Alex Cequea, where I’ll be interviewing people who are making the world a better place in unique ways. (If that message resonates with you, I kindly invite you to subscribe to my channel.)

Don’t worry though, I’ll still be creating content for iPhone Life magazine and iPhoneLife.com, and the A-List episodes focusing on tech innovators will be posted here on a weekly basis.

Donna Schill Cleveland

Nina Benjamin

“But Alex, who will be leading iPhone Life magazine??” Thanks for that excellent question. Luckily, I have an equally excellent answer. Our previous Associate Editors Nina Benjamin (nina@iphonelife.com) and Donna Schill Cleveland (donna@iphonelife.com) will share joint managerial responsibilities as Executive Editor and Managing Editor, respectively. They are both incredibly efficient and capable editors that will no doubt elevate iPhone Life magazine to a brand new height. Please take a moment to welcome them to their exciting new roles, and wish them well moving forward.

My experience as one of the owners of Mango Life Media, and as Editor in Chief of iPhone Life magazine has been nothing short of extraordinary. I thank you all for your continued support and for reading us for the last three years. Taking over a 26-year-old publishing company while still in our 20s was an opportunity that we simply couldn’t pass up, and the last few years have taught us lessons we could have only learned as entrepreneurs. I’ve had the pleasure of running Mango Life Media along with my friends and highly capable individuals in their own right, David Averbach, Raphael Burnes, and the rest of the Mango Life Media team.

The Mango Life Media team

I’ll miss you, but I hope you’ll stay in touch :-) You can email me at alex@iphonelife.com, or reach out via Twitter @alexcequea. Ciao!

I’m surrounded by little green men, some people refer to them as aliens, I call them Android users. I’m an Apple in the middle of an Android Galaxy (S3s mostly, but a few S4s and a Nexus). So what’s it like being one of the only Apples in an Android dominated world? Here’s a rundown of my observations:

1. You Have Nowhere to Plug In…but that’s Ok: My philosophy is ABC (Always Bring Cords) this goes for iPhones and Androids alike, but the Androids do need to plug in a bit more often. I realize that there are many (understatement) articles out there on battery life and who beats whom in “real world” observation, but the reality is, living with Android users, they need to re-charge more than the average Apple user. Therefore, there are a million Android chargers around the house, mostly hooked up to other Samsung devices like our TV, and I have to tote my own cord around. Androids use a standard USB charging cable, so my husband uses the excuse that we can also charge my Kindle, our camera, and several other USB devices on the same cable, thus justifying keeping them there. One of the things which annoys me the most about Android charging is that when you do plug a phone into the USB port it interrupts television watching for a few moments as it flashes “new device” on the screen. If you find yourself in a similar situation, pressing the volume button up or down will take the problem away. 

2. That Thing Gets More Updates Than TMZ’s Twitter: If you live with an Android owner you’ll realize that the number of updates they get is almost two to one to that of an Apple device. Most of it comes from the bloat wear layered on top of every Android device. As the Apple owner, it now becomes your responsibility to look up today’s weather, search news stories, and look up stock quotes until your Android partner is able to use his or her phone again. Depending on the exact Android device, some are completely debilitated by updates. 

3. My Apps are Cuter Than Yours: It’s true. Not only do we have more apps as Apple users, we have prettier ones as well. You can find the same app on both the Android market place and the Apple App Store, but the Apple apps look more refined, well furbished, and robust. Traditionally, developers come out with Apple Apps before their Android cousins. I’m not sure if this is the reason why so many Apple apps seem more polished, but the truth is there. At one point I had the desire to own both an Apple and an Android (Note 3) to become more literate in all forms of mobile technology; but after having a Note for one week, I returned it for an iPad…larger screen, simple ecosystem. Which brings me to point #4.

4. What Apple Can Accomplish in One Step, Takes Androids Four: Ok, maybe four is an exaggeration, but I can find directions to the local Taco Surf a lot faster than my husband can. One of Androids biggest selling points is the fact that it is so “open,” meaning everyone gets a crack at development and implementation. That’s awesome for someone who likes to tweak things. My husband is a computer genius; he created his own server for our home and in his classroom (the whole school goes down, my husband’s kids have to keep working because they are on a self-created, completely independent server which my husband maintains and monitors) but openness creates fragmentation. All of my apps work together. Yes, this is because Apple is kind of obsessive when it comes to cohesiveness, but at least I know that when my Scout app updates it will still work with my address book, calendar, and to-do list. Apple has my back on that. Android users don’t have such a luxury. One app may or may not work with another. It’s a crapshoot. We’ve seen updates throw the whole system off and where one app used to communicate just fine with another, everything is now set off-kilter. 

So why do so many of my family members and friends own Android?

1. Screen Size: Androids have larger screens; for people with poor eyesight, like my mother-in-law, that was the one and only deciding factor. If it’s true that Apple will come out with a larger screen on the iPhone 6, will Android users be tempted to switch teams? Yes. Several family members and friends have confirmed that screen size played a pivotal role in their cell phone choice and if Apple were to come out with a larger screened iPhone, they would in fact switch. Why? Mostly because of apps. The iTunes store is easier to navigate and you have less chance of downloading malware. iTunes also traditionally receives apps before Android. In addition to apps, ease of use was at the top of the list. If I want a new app, I go to iTunes. An Android user? Well, you can go to the Google Play store, or maybe Amazon; sometimes it’s nice not to have to shop around.

2. iTunes is Running in the Background and I Don’t Want to Be Spied On: Ok, Android users, you’ve got me there. I can’t think of any reason Apple would want to spy on me (although, sadly, I’d be secretly flattered if they did) but iTunes is always running in the back of your computer. Does it take up battery life? I can’t say, but if I had to make a guess I’d say the whole thing was negligible. The ironic thing about this argument is that Android has more malware. So that spying argument may just be equal on both sides here. And why are you all so concerned about people spying on you? 

3. Androids Are Customizable: True. Androids can run custom ROMs and be rooted. Androids are more customizable than Apple devices. There are tons of widgets out there to help you make your device unique, and that’s great, but I want something that works the way I want it to and how I need it to right out of the box. I’ve heard Android users say that Android users are smarter than iPhone users and that iPhone users just take the “easy road” because they can’t figure out all that an Android can do. I’ve also been told that if I “could” format an Android to my custom specifications, I’d never go back to a “boring” iPhone. The truth is, I can root an Android and I understand custom ROMs; but so much can go so wrong at unpredictable times, it becomes a matter of convenience. I don’t need to prove my intelligence through the choice of a smart phone. I’m busy. I’m a teacher, a grad-student, a fitness model, and an actress. Oh yeah, and I write these blog posts. I need my phone to do what I was promised it would do, when it was promised to do it. I can’t mess around with apps not functioning perfectly because I’ve installed a custom ROM which is no longer compatible with the auditioning app I need to send in my voiceover reading or with Blackboard, which is the standard for submitting discussion threads to my university professor. 

As one of the sole Apple users in my Android dominated world I’ve been labeled everything from a fan girl to a plastic (yes, on Wednesdays I do wear pink). But until Apple stops delivering what I need, when I need it, I see no reason to make a switch. Android has given me nothing for which I feel compelled to take a chance on a whole new operating system and possibly disrupting my way of life. My uniqueness and personalization can come through my wardrobe, and my intelligence through my education. As far as a smartphone, dependability is the key feature I’m looking for, which is why I’m an Apple even if my friends and family are Androids. 

Yulia Mayorova/Shutterstock

Let's be honest. Most of us use our iPhone camera for just three things: taking pictures of our cute kids to share on social media, taking pictures of our food to share on social media, and taking selfies to share on social media. But sometimes trying to look cool while simultaneously tapping the shutter button on your screen can just end with you looking awkward. Here's a very basic tip that a surprising number of people don't know:

You can take pictures by pressing either the volume up or down button.

Even better, you can take pics using the volume buttons on your apple headphones.

Coolest of all, some Bluetooth headsets also let you take pictures with the volume buttons. If you have a tripod, this could take your selfies to a whole new level!

In an article posted by Apple Insider, an analyst estimates that 20 percent of Apple's profits could come from iTunes and the App Store by 2020. Now that includes music, movies, and TV shows, but it's worth remembering that Apple originally had no plans for the App Store. When the iPhone was introduced, Steve Jobs' response to requests for third party apps was to recommend web apps using Safari. But Apple changed gears a year later and the App Store was introduced. The world has never been the same.

A few years later, and Apple changed their name from Apple Computer to just Apple. This reflected their change not just from a computer provider to a Consumer Electronics provider, but also to a media provider. Apple's iTunes changed how the world consumes music and the App Store changed how we buy software. In fact, thanks to free apps, we often don't even buy software. Still, there is money to be made in Apps as this chart from Apple Insider shows:

Apple still makes the lion's share of their revenue from hardware, but hardware costs a lot to build. Software, especially apps written by independent developers, is much more profitable. The same is true for music, movies, and TV shows. Apple makes a nice 30 percent cut of iTunes sales in exchange for providing their sizeable distribution mechanism.

In an era where many firms are valued for far more than their actual income (Facebook bought WhatsApp for $19 billion for example) it's refreshing to see real profits being reported by a technology company. And as an app developer, it's reassuring to know that Apple will be looking for more revenue from the App Store!

Thanks to everyone who entered iPhone Life's Biweekly Weekend Giveaway! We received entries from 458 people this week – WOW! And today we will be giving away three amazing accessories to three lucky people!

And the winners are... (drum roll please):

Christian Pla, Stanley McHam, and Jeff Davison. 

If you see your name but didn't receive an email, please check your spam folder.

Didn't Win This Week? No worries! Visit iphonelife.com/giveaways for the chance to win in the next giveaway round.

The next contests featured items are:

1. DriSuit Guardian 5: Retail Price $59.95

The driSuit guardian for the iPhone 5 is the perfect choice for all outdoor activities. Never again be caught in a situation where your iPhone investment is at risk. All-weather protection from rain, snow, mud, dust, and sand; from the soccer fields to the city streets and even to the infamous toilet drops—for once and for all, you and your investment are covered and protected with driSuit.

Proprietary integrated audio jack, easy to use dual latch system, waterproof through 5 meters (16.5 feet), internally cushioned for shock protection, lanyard for easy carrying.

2. Sena Corsa iPhone 5 Case: Retail Price $39.95

A spot of color with a lot of refinement. Corsa is a genuine leather iPhone pouch with a signature stripe design with rich pebble-grain texture. Offered in an array of colors that make a statement while protecting your phone. Its pull strap makes for easy removal.

3. PerfectFit iPhone 5 Screen Protector: Retail Price $19.95

This precision pre-cut screen shield applies directly to your device; providing the best, most durable protection you will find that covers the maximum amount of the device surface. Transparent and ultra thin, this screen shield provides unbeatable device scratch protection.

Questions or comments? Email Brian@iphonelife.com. Good luck and remember to visit iphonelife.com/giveaways to enter! Also check out our other contests at iphonelife.com/contests. The next contest drawing is April 7th!

iCloud, just like the name sounds, is cloud storage for your iDevice. This means that you can access your music, photos, contacts, and calendars on all of your devices, even if the content is not stored on your iDevice.

When you sign up for iCloud, you automatically get 5GB of free storage. This is used as a backup for your device if it gets ruined or lost. iCloud will automatically backup your device whenever it's plugged into a power source. If you need more than 5GB of storage you can purchase an upgrade from your device. The cost is $20 a year for an extra 10GB, $40 a year for 20GB or $100 per year for 50GB. 

If you plug your iDevice into your computer and use it for backup like I do, it's not really necessary to purchase extra storage. If you don't connect your device to a computer, it's wise to use iCloud and purchase the necessary storage so you don't lose your photos, documents, data, contacts, etc. if something unfortunate happens.

You can choose what you want stored in iCloud. This includes email, contacts, calendar events, reminders, Safari websites, notes, Passbook information, passwords, photos, and documents and data. Go to Settings > iCloud and toggle on those things you want stored in iCloud.

In addition to storage, iCloud can be used to share your content with any other iDevice that is registered to your Apple account. For example, if you purchased a song or movie from iTunes on your iPad, you can also listen or watch on your iPhone, without downloading it, using iCloud.

iCloud also makes it easy to share photos with friends or loved ones. You can choose up to 100 people to see the photos you've taken with your iDevice. A photo stream can be created for each event such as family reunion pics, a holiday, or your summer softball team. Invite who you want and they can also post their own photos and videos to the stream.

Another great feature of iCloud is Find My iPhone. Not only can it locate and show you your iPhone's location on a map, it can also lock your device or even erase it if you believe it was stolen. Find My iPhone can be set up to display a custom message, such as another phone number to call so it can be returned to you if found by a Good Samaritan. Find my iPhone is also available on the iPad, however, if it doesn't have a cellular carrier, it has to be connected to a wi-fi source to show its location. One way to use Find My iPhone, that my husband and I have found useful, is to keep track of where our kids are with their iPhones. Not necessarily that we're spying on them (which a parent can definitely do), but we use it when they are on school trips to see their location and about how long it will be before we need to pick them up.

If you have a new iPhone or iPad, set up iCloud when prompted on screen by entering your Apple user ID and password. If you haven't set up iCloud on your iDevice, go to Settings > iCloud and enter your Apple account information. You can also go to icloud.com to view your iDevice's content.

For more information, visit Apple's website. 

If you can't figure out a basic 20 percent tip at a restaurant (take 10 percent and add it to itself. Be generous and always round up) then you might want to revisit your elementary math skills. If you think tipping is optional then you need to revisit your basic being-a-decent-human-being skills and also, read this.

However there are times, such as at the end of a long dinner with a large group of friends, when figuring out a tip requires more advanced math skills or sobriety than you currently have. In these situations, Siri can do the math for you.

Need to figure out everyone's share of the tip? Ask Siri, "What's 18% of $74 divided by three people?"

Need to figure our your share of half the cost of a shared dessert, plus two glasses of the house white, plus your entree, plus your share of the birthday person's meal, plus a tip? Siri can add it all up for you.

Whether or not to split the check evenly or pay for individual meals? You'll have to work that out for yourself!

One thing I love about virtual shelves like the App Store is that you can often find items years after they have been released. When they’re good, that’s always a bonus. I wrote this review more than a year and a half ago, but I hate wasting things, so I figured I’d go ahead and publish it despite the age. The Lord of the Roads ($0.99) is still available on the App Store; and when I fired it up again, just to be sure that I wasn’t overinflating things, it turned out the game is still just as fun as it was back then. Plus it runs quite well on my iPod Touch 4. If you don’t get the significance of that, you’ve obviously never had the “privilege” of owning an iPod Touch 4.

With Finger Shot RPG ($0.99) I knew I had something different in the casual role playing game market, so the burning question with The Lord Of The Roads was if Magic Cube could recapture that magic and still provide something unique. As far as I’m concerned, they struck gold twice in a row. This game is part RPG, part scrolling shooter, and completely addictive. Hardcore dungeon grinders need not apply though; because while there is grinding involved, it’s not about searching every nook and cranny for hidden treasures and long lost ancient weapons. Of course, you might find you like this game’s simpler nature anyway.

You start off with one of three standard classes: swordsman, bowman, and sorcerer. As you progress through the game you’ll be able to unlock seven additional classes to use, as well as upgrade any of the classes you already have at your disposal. You begin each game with one character of whichever class you choose, and as you rescue others along your trip, you’ll either add them to your party if you’ve unlocked their class or you’ll get a hearty “thank you” and some loot as a reward. I’ve managed to acquire a maximum of six party members so far, mainly because they keep getting killed before I can add more.

Mechanically the game plays like a scrolling shooter. Your party is usually at the bottom of the screen, though for short bursts you can charge towards the top to get away from enemies or force them backward. Mainly though, you’ll either tilt the device or use a virtual control pad to move your party left and right. Fighting is handled automatically. You do need to keep in mind that while you’re in large part impervious from the front, you’re totally vulnerable from the side. If you’re not careful while you’re dodging, you’ll inadvertently lose characters to a different attacker. Trust me, I know.

Speaking of attackers, there are plenty of them. Orcs, goblins, zombies—the game has them all. Interestingly enough, there is nothing mundane like bats or spiders; but that’s okay. Each creature has a different method of attack, and some are better ignored when there’s a lot going on. You’ll always have three objectives to work on while you’re playing, which usually revolve around killing a certain number of a particular type of creature. If at any time one of the objectives is too hard or you just don’t want to do it, you can skip to the next one. But if you complete an objective part way through a run, you won’t get a new one until the next time you start. These objectives certainly add to the replay value, though if you don’t know what creature a given objective is referring to, you’re kind of shooting in the dark. I still haven’t figured out what a troll is.

If you’ve played Finger Shot RPG or any of Magic Cube’s zombie games you’ll instantly recognize and love the graphical style. Because of the perspective, the background is basically the ground, but it’s still detailed and changes occasionally to reflect new “territories.” The characters and creatures look cool; but while there’s a lot of stuff moving around, there isn’t much actual animation. The sound effects are pretty decent, as each creature has its own grunts and groans to add to its unique personality. The music is good and fits the atmosphere; but with only one track, it can get repetitive.

I’m not really sure what the target audience for this game is. Thankfully I like both scrolling shooters and lite RPGs, so this game had me hooked from day one. There’s definitely a lot of grinding involved, but an individual game goes quickly enough that I don’t think you’ll care.  After unlocking six of the seven additional classes and upgrading several of them in the process, I’m still immensely enjoying the experience. Deep it’s certainly not, but it works well for playing a few minutes here and there (or quite a few minutes when I’m so close to upgrading the next class.)

Overall Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The Ideal Keyboard Case

There are many good cases on the market, but the ideal case hasn’t been produced yet. Here are the features of the ideal case:

• Protects front and back of the device when closed (does not include a built-in screen protector.)
• Good keyboard layout (Zagg cover and Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover are best in class here, though most others now are more than adequate.)
• Ideally a metal base (Zagg Cover and Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover.)
• Keys flush with keyboard surface.
• Backlit keyboard.
• Ability to shift from “notebook” mode, ideally by removing iPad and rear cover from the keyboard case (NewTrent does this best on their ruggedized AirBender Pro). If using a thin shell design for removal, keep edges compatible with Apple screen-only covers.  If the design uses a “flip-over,” bring the back of the iPad into contact with the keys; don’t flip the keys around to be on the surface or lap (similar to Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard Case). And when in “flip” mode, secure the surface so that the feel is still solid.
• Lightweight.
• Relatively easy to insert and remove iPad.
• Multiple viewing angels, ideally secured by something other than a slot (Velcro or magnets for instance.)
• Auto sensing power on and time out when not in use. Switch of key sequence to permanently turn it off.
• Lightning charging cable.
• Non-marring surface on keyboard base or some sort of feet.
• Total edge and back protection.
• Optional screen protection that is compatible with the case (something like the NewerTech case-friendly screen protector — though I’ve never successfully placed an iPad screen protector that didn’t have some issue and all of them present stylus challenges.)
• Access to SIM slot (usually not a big deal, but very important to international travelers.)
• Metal hinges.

These are the constraints that case designers should be using when thinking about case design. They don’t lead to one answer, and I’m guessing they may be similar to the ones used to design the cases reviewed here; but execution can be an issue as well as usability. Just because something solves a design constraint doesn’t mean it works well in the real world.

Because keyboard and touchscreen coexistence is so mightily important to the Windows 8 market, iPad Air keyboard case designers should be looking to that market for ideas.

Analysis at a Glance

Best Cases:

Keyboard Only:Logitech Keyboard Cover (advice: ship with a lightweight shell to create a more complete solution).

Overall Design and Value: Airbender 2.0 (advice: make the rear, detachable case compatible with Apple iPad Air covers, so when the iPad Air is detached from the  keyboard, Apple’s Smart Cover offers the other half of an elegant solution.)

Complete Cover with Keyboard: Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard Case (advice: place magnets along edges so rear cover sits securely on keyboard when in tablet mode).

Best Rugged and Most Innovative Case: NewTrent Airbender (advice: for your audience, pretty solid. But some thinner parts of rubber can stretch and get loose after repeated removals. Make a slightly less rugged version without the built-in screen protector and with easier insertion and removal for iPad). This one has spent plenty of time on my iPad, but it ended up just being too hard to remove for evaluating other solutions. I also worried about removing the case to replace the iPad SIM for international travel.

Least Favorite Case:

Logitech FabricSkin Keyboard Folio (advice: more robust mounting solution, better keyboard layout and backlighting).

The Reviews

1. Griffin Slim Keyboard Folio  ($79.99)

3 out of 5 stars

If you want thin, light, and basic, this is the keyboard cover combo for you. Rather than worrying about precision molding, Griffin opted for fabric. The iPad just slips through the bottom and is secure by a flap with magnets. There is also a pretty basic, one-position stand. the design allows for the easiest insertion and removal of the iPad among all the cases.

Pros: Light. Doesn’t lock the iPad in.

Cons: Verges on feeling cheap without being cheap. When the features are compared to the Airbender's features at $30 less, it is clearly overpriced. Stand is only one position and held in place by ribbons.

2. Kensington Thin Folio with Keyboard for iPad Air ($109.99)

3 out of 5 stars

With the Kensington team you don’t have to ask,“What was the designer thinking?” since they stream videos on their site with “designer briefings.” So what the designer was thinking here, was workstation, not mobile experience. Sure, the Folio folds up into an attractive enough package. Someone carrying it would appear very professional. However, if that same person was walking down the street and needed to whip out the iPad Air for some quick directions, they would look rather awkward. The folio flips on to a magnetic keyboard, so they would, of course, be trying to make sure the keyboard doesn’t come loose. Then they would be laying out the case to fold it over the rather massive plastic stylus/dock, and then squeezing it so that the non-aligned cover doesn’t slip all over when using the keyboard. I hope you get the picture. With all that said, if you are treating your iPad Air as a workstation and using a phone while walking around, then this is a good solution. The case includes multiple wrist-rest options and for $20 more you can get colorful backlighting for the keyboard. The case is also available in a wide variety of accent colors. If planting yourself isn’t the plan, and you regularly switch between tablet mode and notebook mode, this probably isn’t the keyboard case for you.

Pros: Looks great and protects the iPad Air when closed. Perfect for people who want to set up shop with their iPads. Backlit keyboard option a plus.

Cons: Awkward switching between cover and iPad mode, if what it does can really be called that. Big plastic insert/stand/stylus holder really increases the weight.

3. ZAGG Cover with Bluetooth Keyboard ($99.99)

2 out of 5 stars

I love Zagg’s keyboards. They feel great, look great, and have wonderful backlighting options. But Zagg never gets the case part just right. In previous versions, the keyboards were a bit too recessed accommodate them as an iPad cover, making it feel like you were reaching into the keyboard. This new approach is innovative, but innovative isn’t always good. I’m not even sure how to describe the rubberized hinge and socket thing that wraps around the edge of the iPad and supposedly uses magnets to keep it in place. Put pressure in the wrong place and it doesn’t stay very well. The joints are also pretty stiff, so I feel like I’m putting too much pressure on the iPad to flip it around. I also have an issue with where it hits the iPad, which is not the same place as Apple’s iPad Air cover. That comes into play when using a skin, which I always recommend when using a cover that just covers the front of the device. I applied a Zing Revolution skin, and when I attempt to put this case in place, it not only pushed the skin up and out of place, once I did manage to seat it, the skin interfered with the design, so it didn’t seat properly.

Pros: Great keyboard. All keyboards should include backlighting.

Cons: Odd hinge attachment doesn’t offer enough confidence that iPad will remain attached when transitioning positions.

4. ZAGG  Folio Case with Bluetooth Keyboard  ($99.99)

3.5 out of 5 stars

Let me start of by repeating that I love the Zagg keyboards. And if you want to transform your iPad into a notebook computer, this is a great case for that. It looks nice and feels nice, but it doesn’t flip into tablet mode at all. If you take it out for a quick look, it means going into notebook mode and reaching over the keyboard to touch the screen. Really lovely to look at. Good fit when closed.

Pros: Beautiful keyboard with well-matched rear shell. Great for transforming the iPad Air into a notebook computer.

Cons: Shell might not hold up well to repeated insertions and removals. Power port opening too small for some of Apple’s charging adapters. No “tablet mode.”

5. NewTrent  Airbender Pro ($79.95)

4 out of 5 stars

If you want one case that does everything, this is the case. If you buy and use an Airbender Pro, it will also likely be your case of choice by necessity, as it isn’t easy to get it on or off. Luckily, when I say it does everything, I mean everything. The iPad, upper case portion easily detaches from the keyboard, keeping the rugged screen protection and environmentally sealed features intact. The metal hinge, which is very well constructed, pulls out to provide more viewing angels.

Pros: The total package. Rugged case with built-in screen cover. Check. Detachable case. Check. Good keyboard. Check. You can’t buy a more solid or adaptable keyboard case.

Cons: A bit heavy with its metal multiple layers of protection and heavy metal hinges. Not ideal if using your iPad with a stylus as it doesn’t glide across the cover as well as it does against the iPad's glass screen.

6. NewTrent  Airbender 2.0 ($44.95)

4 out of 5 stars

This case, which is only slightly less sophisticated than its bigger brother (the element-proof case gives way to a simple shell), rates the same number of stars because it is well designed and very inexpensive. It isn’t 5 out of 5 stars because when the iPad is detached, using the same basic snap-on design as the Airbender Pro, the iPad is exposed, unlike the Airbender Pro solution that tends toward over engineered, which might be for some people, but not for all. I think they missed the middle path, which is making the Airbender 2.0 compatible with an Apple Smart Cover.

Pros: Almost a total package. Well designed enough to transform experience from notebook mode to iPad-only mode with a quick-release clip.

Cons: Requires screen protector to protect screen when a little cut-out would have made it compatible with Apple Smart Cover.

7. Logitech The FabricSkin Keyboard Folio for iPad Air ($149)

2 out of 5 stars

If you want the science fiction thing going for your iPad Air, this is the almost-perfect looking accessory. It’s FabricSkin cover shields the iPad front and back while providing an otherworldly feel when holding it. Unlike most Logitech products, the keyboard is oddly off center, with a smallish shift key on the left. The plastic corners that hold the iPad in place are rigged and somewhat thin. Although mine haven’t broken, I do worry about what would happen if I were to take the iPad in and out of the case with frequency. 

Pros: Stylish looking and water resistant. Makes iPad Air in case appear color than naked version.

Cons: Odd keyboard with no key travel or feedback. 

8. Logitech The Ultrathin Keyboard for iPad ($99.99)

4 out of 5 stars

Simple has always been best. And Logitech knows when it has a winner, so it shrunk down its Ultrathin Keyboard for the iPad to Air size. The keyboard is reliable and well constructed with a nice layout. It is a bit more cramped then ones for older iPads, but not by much. Winners don’t last forever, and this is a keyboard that could use a next generation design investment, like backlighting and a paired combo shell that protects the back of the iPad.

Pros: Great keyboard with solid construction and good attachment design, compatible with Apple Smart Cover attachment points.

Cons: No protection for rear of iPad. Must be removed and stored separately when using iPad as a tablet. No backlighting.

9. Belkin QODE Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad Air ($129)

4 out of 5 stars

Compared to its earlier offerings, Belkin has done a fine job with this keyboard. A nice rear shell complements a good keyboard. Unlike many of the other cases, this rear shell protector flips down over the keyboard; but unfortunately, it just kind of sits there, contributing a little juggling to the use of the tablet. In “notebook” mode, it works very well, offering multiple magnetically defined positions that hold very firm. I have only two additional suggestions: First, the edge on the bottom panel of the keyboard is a bit sharp—not dangerous, just distracting. Second, I’d love to see another solution to pivoting the iPad Air over the keyboard that is better than a flocked piece of vinyl. As with other rear shell type cases, I worry about cracking the shell when repeatedly taking an iPad in and out of the shel. But not only does this one feel more sturdy, the design also makes it less necessary to remove the iPad. It could use plastic or rubber feet to better protect surfaces.

Pros: Solid design makes for overall protection, along with good keyboard and multiple display angels via magnetic positions.

Cons: Slightly sharp edge on keyboard, needs better solution than vinyl for connecting keyboard with cover.

King, the Dublin, Ireland based game developer, has a great symbol, KING, on the New York Stock Exchange, and at least one very popular app, Candy Crush Saga (free), in a portfolio of 180 apps. Candy Crush represents 75 percent to 80 percent of King's revenue, but usage has peaked and is in decline.  

Jonathan Reich, COO of Zedge, has seen this before. Zedge is a popular free app and service that provides free ringtones, wallpapers and games discovery for a variety of phones.  When their customers switch phones or get bored with their current wallpapers and ringtones, they have a reason to go back to Zedge for a refresh. As a result, Zedge has close to 100 million installs, and monetizes through advertising and game developer user acquisition. Zedge has been able to stay in the Top 15 on Google Play for over three years strictly with organic, viral growth.

Reich believes potential King investors need to be wary. The app market is fickle and King could be a one-hit wonder. Another publicly traded game developer, Zynga, has had mixed success with their Farmville style of games. The challenge Zynga and King both face is to leverage a large base of users and repeatedly transition them to new games. Zynga went public and has struggled to maintain even half of their initial value. Zedge's Reich sees the King valuation as overly rich, and worries about the cyclical nature of the gaming market. He sees it as very difficult for King to maintain their position.

When users inevitably get bored with Candy Crush, they do not necessarily have loyalty to the next King app. Nintendo was able to build a brand around Mario, Luigi, Zelda, and other characters. Rovio was able to license their Angry Birds characters and cross-market with Star Wars. King has yet to create a real identity that consumers crave. Nintendo and Rovio know that their characters have opportunities beyond apps, including movies, plush toys, apparel, and even theme park attractions. Their customers have a degree of confidence that an app or product will have a certain experience and quality level.

Zynga and King are also very dependent on external forces, like Facebook, Apple, Google, and the government. King's apps are typically free and monetized through in-app purchases. In-app purchases have become a lucrative way for app developers to earn money, but there has been a backlash. Parents suffering from sticker shock have complained and the government has taken notice. In-app purchases are a source of tension for App Stores. Apple is expected to make up to 20 percent of their revenue from iTunes and the App Store by 2020, with a lot of that income from in-app purchases. At the same time, Apple wants to provide a safe and trustworthy experience for customers. Government oversight is also something they would like to avoid.

Apple and Google have taken steps to educate users before making such purchases and Apple's Touch ID fingerprint reader is a welcome enhancement. A 15-minute window before a password or finger swipe is required helps, but a lot of damage can be done in 15 minutes.  Reich sees the industry maturing, and as customers become wary, the popularity of traditional fixed-price gaming apps is growing. King will have to demonstrate flexibility to make today's IPO more successful than Zynga's was.

UPDATE: The stock priced at $22.50 per share but fell to about $20. King sold 22.2 million shares and raised $500 million.

When Autocorrect fails you or a message arrives that renders the lengthy epistle you just typed irrelevant, you can easily delete entire messages or emails.

Just give your iPhone a shake and the Undo Typing menu will pop up. Select Undo. If you meant to select Cancel and accidentally hit Undo, don't worry. Just give your phone another shake and the Redo Typing menu will pop up.

This also works in Mail if you accidentally delete an email or save it in the wrong folder.

Try this in Safari, Calendar, and Reminders too.

HitToon.com/Shutterstock

Hey everyone, if you've been wishing you could use your iPhone like some kind of productivity ninja, then we’ve got a special gift for you. Outgoing Editor in Chief Alex Cequea has taken the best tips and tricks from the latest issues of iPhone Life magazine, and turned them into a 2+ hour video course that can help you dramatically increase your iPhone productivity.

The course costs $47, but we're giving it away for a reduced price to readers of our blog. How does that sound? Would you like to check out our first video course for $27?

You’re still reading, so I’ll take that as a yes.

To redeem the course “Master Your iPhone and Be 10X More Productive” from Udemy.com, follow these steps:

1.      Click on this link: https://www.udemy.com/master-your-iphone-and-be-10x-more-productive/?couponCode=Launch27

2.      Click on “Take This Course”

3.      Register for Udemy (takes one minute) and enter coupon code “Launch27” at checkout (if it didn’t automatically activate)

4.      Start becoming an iPhone Ninja!

One last thing, since this is a brand new course, your reviews and ratings are supremely important in letting others know if the course is worth it. If you feel that you’ve gained value from the course, kindly leave the course a 5-star rating and an honest review.

If you have ideas for improving the course, please send Alex an email (alex@iphonelife.com) with suggestions and feedback. He can update the course and include/remove content in whatever way you all want him to.  

P.S. There are a limited number of  “Launch27” codes, so if you’re thinking of checking out the course, now’s the time to do it! Sign up now for only $27!

Marco Antonio/Shutterstock

MapMyRun (Free)

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Once in a while, I will stumble on an app at what seems like the most inopportune time, but it turns out to be highly beneficial anyway. That's how I found MapMyRun from MapMyFitness. I actually happened upon this app when I saw their ad while playing a game in my doctor's waiting room. The company is certainly no stranger to the App Store; since their inception in 2007, MapMyFitness has released several apps dedicated to fostering connected fitness among the public. 

MapMyRun is a very detailed app that gives you various options for your workout. You can opt to jog or run and even keep track of other activities like cross country treks and dog walks. You can even track yourself during an event such as a 5K or simply keep track of your treadmill activities. There is a great focus on having an accurate record of everything. The routes you create or use during your workout are recorded via the internal GPS tracker in the app and are accurate right down to the street. This is combined with to-the-second timing of your workout along with distance. There's even a narrator who'll give you split times and will coach you if you select that option. Another great option is the ability to select from your iTunes playlist on your phone for a musical backdrop to the burning of calories—also noted via the app.

MapMyRun helps the user get a comprehensive fix on their fitness. Recently they've added a nutrition counter so that you can keep track of all your meals and their caloric content if you choose. After each workout, you get a summary that can be sent to your email in a weekly update. After using MapMyRun for the past three months, I can say that it has been a really great tool for keeping tabs on my health. There's only one or two cons that have come up. First, I did have an issue when I first started using the app with it locking up for about a week or so during a promotion for upgrading to their MVP service. Not the best way to gain sales or usage of the app, even if you can understand their need to get more customers that way. Thankfully the issue was resolved on their end and the problem hasn't repeated itself. The only other issue might be the lack of a dedicated pedometer within the app. That is available in their online store however. All in all, MapMyRun is possibly one of the better apps out there for keeping yourself fit.

We all have our reasons for wanting to browse the web privately occasionally. And I think we can all agree that we'd rather not know each other's reasons. Here's how you can keep your web browsing history private:

Open Safari and tap the bottom of the page to bring up the navigation options if they're not already visible.

Tap on the pages icon on the lower right.

Select Private. (You can also turn on private browsing in History)

A menu will pop up asking you if you would like to keep or close all pages currently open before turning private browsing on. It's up to you.

When you are finished with private viewing tap the pages icon again and select Private. When the Close All Pages? menu pops up, select Close All. Anything left open will show up in your history.

You can clear everything after the fact by going to Settings>Safari>Clear History and Clear Cookies and Data. Merely selecting Clear in History will not keep Google from making suggestions based on previous searches.

As expected, new Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced the release of Microsoft Office for the iPad at a press event Thursday. Available are Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps. You can download the apps for FREE, but the free version limits you to viewing documents created in those programs. If you want to create and/or edit documents, you'll need to subscribe to Microsoft's Office 365 service. Office 365 Home Premium is currently the lowest-cost option, at $9.99/month or $99.99 per year. It lets you install Office on up to 5 Macs or PCs and up to 5 mobile devices. In addition, a subscription comes with 20GB of OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) cloud storage and 60 minutes of Skype calls per month. Microsoft also recently announced Office 365 Personal, which will let you install Office on a PC or Mac and on one tablet. The price will be $69.99 per year, or $6.99 per month when it becomes available.

According to an early review on Macworld, the apps have been built for the iPad from the ground up. Microsoft has completely reconceptualized these software programs for a touch screen. The reviewer even prefers the iPad version of Office to the desktop version, saying it's better organized and more intuitive. Many features of the desktop version are there, such as track changes, but some features are missing.

So how do the apps compare to Apple's suite? Here's what the Macworld review has to say: "I think they’ve created a suite of 'free' apps as good or better than anything Apple has created."

You can also find an early review, with ample screenshots, on Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows. It includes a list of the features available in the free version. Bottom line: "It's the real deal, a full-featured set of Office apps that looks and works naturally on the iPad."

So what about the iPhone? According to iMore, the Office suite that's already been available for the iPhone doesn't compare to the quality of the iPad suite. And since the iPad suite is free, Microsoft Office Mobile is now also free. 

As new iOS apps flood the App Store every day — recently topping 1,000,000 — we know it’s tough to tell which ones are worth their salt. But thanks to our Weekly Scoop, you can have the best for free! Here you’ll find a weekly roundup of the coolest apps free or at a discount for a limited-time only. Each week features the best and brightest from websites like Free App Report, AppsGoneFree, appsfire, and more.

Hurry! Get 'em while they’re hot!

1.Fonts Magic ($0.99 from $1.99)

Pimp out your social media posts by using a variety of different cool fonts. Watch your status updates collect more likes and comments and improve your number of retweets simply by making your posts stand out from the crowd. This is seriously fun!

2.Tai Chi Step by Step ($2.99 from $4.99)

If you’ve ever been curious about Tai Chi, the ancient Chinese art of movement for stress reduction and strength, this app is a great place to start your practice.  With soothing graphics and easy to follow instructions, you’ll be out there in the park practicing in no time.  You don’t have to be a beginner though!  The app also includes a level for advanced practitioners as well.

3.21K Pro(Free from $1.99)

Go from the couch to running a half marathon (13 miles) in just 3 workouts a week for 15 weeks with this awesome app. Build your strength and endurance in increments until you’re ready to rock the road!

This is the official announcement of the iPhone life Biweekly Giveaway! Be sure to enter the giveaway at iphoneLife.com/giveaways to win prizes, which we'll announce April 7! We are raffling off tons of great accessories for FREE.

Here's how it works: Every other Friday we will announce the prizes we're giving away through iphonelife.com, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. To enter the giveaway, go to iphoneLife.com/giveaways. On the following Monday morning, we will randomly select the winners. If you win an app, we will email you the promo code to redeem the app for free. If you win an accessory, send us your address and we will mail it to you.

The giveaway's featured items are:

1. Sena Corsa iPhone 5 Case: Retail Price $39.95

A spot of color with a lot of refinement. Corsa is a genuine leather iPhone pouch with a signature stripe design with rich pebble-grain texture. Offered in an array of colors that make a statement while protecting your phone. Its pull strap makes for easy removal.

2. PerfectFit iPhone 5 Screen Protector: Retail Price $19.95

This precision pre-cut screen shield applies directly to your device; providing the best, most durable protection you will find that covers the maximum amount of the device surface. Transparent and ultra thin, this screen shield provides unbeatable device scratch protection.

3. DriSuit Guardian 5: Retail Price $59.95

The driSuit guardian for the iPhone 5 is the perfect choice for all outdoor activities. Never again be caught in a situation where your iPhone investment is at risk. All-weather protection from rain, snow, mud, dust, and sand; from the soccer fields to the city streets and even to the infamous toilet drops—for once and for all, you and your investment are covered and protected with driSuit.

Proprietary integrated audio jack, easy to use dual latch system, waterproof through 5 meters (16.5 feet), internally cushioned for shock protection, lanyard for easy carrying.

Questions or comments? Email Brian@iphonelife.com. Good luck and remember to visit iphonelife.com/giveaways to enter! Also check out our other contests at iphonelife.com/contests. The next contest drawing is April 7th!

blvdone/Shutterstock

With almost 2.5 Billion  Android and iOS devices in use in the world, and Gartner predicting tablet shipments to outstrip PCs next year, it looks like everyone will be running their business from the palm of their hand before Santa Claus next comes down your chimney. Apple is increasingly being accepted by enterprise IT departments alongside Microsoft, and $50 smartphones are getting closer to reality every day, at least in emerging countries.

But, there is a dark side: according to Gartner, one in five enterprises will fail to benefit from Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend due to restrictive security controls, and the one-size-fits-all mantra common in consumer apps often doesn’t cut it when trying to actually run your business. It should come as no surprise that if you search online for the “top ten apps for CEOs” or something similar, you get a list of travel, expense, web conference, file sharing, and note taking apps. Not a single Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Professional Service Automation (PSA), HR, field service/helpdesk, inventory managemen,t or financial accounting mobile app gets close to the top-ten list. Why is this? 

Before we can answer, it is important to understand what we mean by enterprise mobility. There are five groups or categories of enterprise mobile apps:

1. Personal productivity (email, calendar, to-do list, business card scanning, even expense receipt processing)
2. Communication and collaboration (Skype, WebEx, join me etc.)
3. Reporting (RoamBI and several other front-end reporting tools, most of which only work if set up by your IT department ahead of time)
4. Business management (Finance, HR, time, vacation request, approvals, CRM, ERP)
5. Business operations (field technicians, delivery/distribution, retail order/payment processing, warehouse management).

High quality enterprise mobile apps are plentiful in the first two categories—personal productivity and collaboration, but woefully lacking in the last three groups. And yet trends such as consumerization of business apps, higher expectations of elegance and usability, using your own device at work, and end users having more influence over what apps they use at work, apply just as much to business management and operations as to personal productivity and communication. So what are the barriers to the development and growth of elegant, intuitive business management and business operations apps?

The number one concern is security and data access, both real and perceived. Passwords are much shorter on mobile devices and yet smart authentication—using not just the new iPhone 5s TouchID but also usage patterns, device IDs, or even user location—are as rare as white tigers. Instead of coming up with smarter ways to secure important business data, most business apps not only download your important business data to the mobile device, but they employ less sophisticated security than the web-interface you use in your laptop to access the same product. This is going to change over the coming year before organizations adopt business management and operations apps storing business-critical data in a big way.

Another barrier is that the philosophy of "one-size-fits-all" prevalent in leading personal productivity apps, such as Apple’s email, calendar and contacts suite, just does not work for running core business processes. Not only do processes which truly differentiate one company from the next have drastic differences between industries, most operations apps available today have been custom-built for one or another corporation. One-size-fits-all isn’t going to cut it when it means the doctor, retail outlet and aerospace engine manufacturer are all using the same basic order form layout. The data captured from one industry to the next could not be more diverse. 

Finally, the major enterprise on-premise and cloud vendors—such as SAP, Salesforce and Quickbooks—all have their mobile offerings but they are little more than after thoughts giving employees on-the-road access to a reduced set of functions and features, or even gimmicks to “tick the box” for having a mobile offering. Take SAP for example; they have no less than 297 of their own mobile apps in their app store. Why? That’s about 290 too many, forcing hapless business and IT managers to find what apps they need, and then once deployed to constantly switch between apps.

Businesses don’t want their employees to use tens of different enterprise mobile apps any more than they want their employees to use so many apps to work on their laptops. Over the next few years, a new breed of ERP-like cloud and mobile enterprise applications will be born, supporting a broad range of common and industry-specific business processes. Common processes, like managing contacts or paying invoices, will adopt user interface norms driven by the best applications in the market—including equivalent consumer apps. Modules for core processes will adopt the same elegant UI while presenting and capturing information that can only be understood by people working in each specific industry. As end users have more and more influence over the apps their company subscribes to, suppliers with the best-designed, most productive apps will come to dominate the market, leaving software vendors of today in the dust if they cannot evolve. As these suppliers dominate the market, their apps will inevitably become bigger, broader and more complicated, leaving them with a new challenge of simplifying their existing applications. 

As you can see from the lack of good business management (ERP, CRM, HR, finance) or operations (field service, distribution, inventory, retail) mobile apps in the market, the prize for the enterprise SaaS vendor who gets this right is big. They have a real chance to leap right over the heads of SAP, Microsoft and Salesforce in terms of mobile app usability and usefulness.

RONORMANJR/Shutterstock

Fast-forwarding and rewinding and skipping between music tracks and video chapters only works if the app you are using supports it. (For example, you can't skip back to a previous song in iTunes Radio, so you can't do it with your EarPods either. But you will be able to skip to the next song.)

Using Earphones During Video or Music Playback

To start or stop music or a video

Press the center button once to play or pause.

To skip to the next song or chapter

Press the center button twice quickly.

To fast-forward

Press the center button twice quickly and hold. 

To go to the previous song or chapter

Press the center button three times quickly. 

To rewind

Press the center button three times quickly and hold. 

Using Earphones During Phone Calls

To answer or end a call

Press the center button once to answer or end your call

To decline incoming calls

Hold down the center button for about two seconds, then let go. When you let go, you will hear two beeps indicating that you successfully declined the call.

To place a call on hold when switching between calls

Press the center button once to switch to switch to an incoming or on-hold call. You current call will be put on hold. Press again to switch back. 

To end a call when switching between calls

When ending a call and switching to an on-hold or incoming call, press and hold the center button for about two seconds. When you let go, you will hear two beeps indicating that you successfully ended the call you just left.